Cold Front
by Celtic Oak
Summary: AU. The cold winds of the coming winter can bring the most unexpected things. GaaSaku. Twoshot.
1. Part I

Yes well, I know must of you are going to kill me for posting something new up instead of updating one of my other stories but I beg you to have mercy! xD I promise you will like it! (crosses her fingers)

I was halfway through the next chapter of _Flowers in the rain_ when an idea hit me directly in the head and I simply couldn't let it go. There's a cold front hitting my country right now and it sort of inspired me to write this. You know me, I sit down with the intention to write a chapter for a specific fic and I end up writing something else altogether.

Don't worry, this story is already 90 percent complete. I wrote most of it in one go. I'm posting it up in two separate chapters because I didn't get to finish or proof read the second part on time so I'll be posting that one in the following days. So no worries, I will get back to work on my other stories right away.

This is actually an experimental fic, since I wanted to try out a different version of Gaara. When I say different, it means that I want to show another aspect of what his arrogance can be… so you can expect him to be tricky, manipulative and out to get what he wants. Don't we just love him?

So I know there might be mistakes and the characterization might seem strange at first but I'm just playing with things here. If it turns out alright, I might be inspired to write another fic. I'm rating it M just in case.

But enough talk already, on with the show!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters of Naruto. This story was meant for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

**_COLD FRONT_**

**PART I**

Sakura shivered as she rode the elevator down to the first floor of the hospital. Even though the whole building was engulfed in the delicious warmth of its powerful heating system, the pink haired doctor knew that the first freezing winds of winter were blowing outside…winds she would have to face when she ended her shift in around an hour.

Usually, she looked forward to the end of her day but not this time. She had recently realized that her heater, used to bring a toasty warm atmosphere to the insides of her small house, had broken and had been taken apart by the repairman in an attempt to have it ready for the first winter storms. She wasn't so lucky however, since it seemed that _everyone_ who had a broken down heating system had decided to repair it at the same time as she and the spare parts that she needed replaced would take around week to arrive. Thus, she would have to face the beginning of winter engulfed in layers of warm clothing inside her house just to be able to sleep at night.

'You should check your heater as soon as you can.'

Sakura could hear Hinata's voice clearly inside her head, could hear the warning her friend had given her a couple of weeks ago, just before the cold front had hit the city directly. As she was wont to do, the pink haired doctor had nodded her head and had proceeded to forget all about it in the next couple of minutes. She could be such a bird brain sometimes.

Thinking that she might be able to crash at Ino's place in the meantime, Sakura's train of thought was interrupted when the elevator doors opened and she stepped out into the corridor of the emergency sector of the hospital. People were everywhere, running up and down while trying to get to where they were supposed to be. Doctors tried to calm patients down while parents asked where their injured son or daughter was. On the surface, it all seemed like utter chaos but Sakura knew that beneath it all, there was a strange order that reigned in this part of the hospital. She had received a call saying that the ER was completely full and thus, she had volunteered to spend the last hour of her shift down here to help out.

And as it was usually the case when she showed up, she was approached before she could take two steps out of the elevator.

"Dr. Haruno!" a young intern yelled while making her way towards Sakura in a hurry. "I'm so glad you're here. This way please."

"Sure, Nariko, lead the way."

Turning round to follow the young woman down a separate hallway, the pink haired doctor was given the details of what she would be facing without her needing to ask.

"A group of four men came in recently and were beaten up pretty badly. From what we can tell and from witness accounts, they were trying to mug a twelve year old boy…"

"What?" Sakura asked in shock. "Is the boy alright?"

"Yes, we took care of him first, obviously. He only had a couple of minor bruises," Nariko said, reassuring the more experienced doctor.

"Good," the pink haired doctor replied, completely relieved. You simply wouldn't be able to believe the things that happened out on the streets if you didn't have to deal with them in here.

"The thing is, it seems the boy was rescued by a single man… and from what the muggers say, he was the one that delivered the damage to _all_ of them."

Sakura could only raise an elegant eyebrow in question at her, clearly sceptical.

Nariko smiled as they turned the corner of the hallway. "See for yourself."

The pink haired doctor turned emerald eyes towards the new corridor they were now facing. Surprise filtered across her face at the sight that suddenly appeared before her. Three of the four men Nariko had been talking about were sitting on a long bench against one of the walls, waiting to be treated. Their faces were swollen and large bruises were starting to form on their foreheads and cheeks. One of them seemed to be holding his arm against his chest in pain while another one was clutching his leg desperately.

"We have two broken arms and a dislodged knee cap," Nariko said in an unbelieving tone, as if she hadn't come to terms with the facts yet. "The one that's missing was taken away for some x-rays since he received some considerable damage to his ribs."

Sakura only stared with incredulous green eyes at the scene before her. This wasn't a beating, this was carnage.

But before she could speculate further about the whole thing, she saw a boy sitting some distance down the hall on another bench; he was eyeing the men with a look of apprehension in his gaze. Without thinking twice, Sakura walked quickly over to him and kneeled in front of him.

"Hi there sweety," she said to him in a soft voice. "Are you okay?"

The boy turned to look down at her and blushed to the roots of his short brown hair when he was abruptly confronted by the sight of the prettiest doctor he had ever seen.

"Y-yes, thank you ma'am," he stuttered in response.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Sakura asked, wanting to know all the details.

"I was running some errands for my mother but I was running late. So I took a short cut through Cozamer Street…"

Sakura instantly grimaced at the name of the road. Everyone knew that that sector of town was plagued by thieving gangs.

"I know it was stupid of me," the boy said at seeing her expression, "but my mother needed the medicines I had gone out to buy so I needed to hurry."

Placing her hand on his, the pink haired doctor silently reassured him so he could continue.

"I was surrounded by them," he said while pointing at the men down the hall, "when I was halfway down the street. They wanted to take my money but I didn't have any. Then they took my mother's medicine away from me and when I tried to take it back, they kicked me out of the way."

Emerald eyes sparked with sudden anger and Sakura suddenly felt glad that the thugs had been beaten so badly. How could anyone do such a thing to a child?

"It would've ended much worse if the redheaded stranger hadn't shown up," the boy said, his eye lighting up at the memory. "He took them all of them on at the same time and they had knives too! You should've seen him! He moved like lighting!"

Sakura raised both her eyebrows and opened her eyes widely, pretending to be amazed. In truth, she was clearly sceptical concerning the boy's account but she allowed him to continue. It wouldn't do to spoil his fantasies, not at a moment like this.

"He got hit by them too, but it wasn't as bad as any of them."

"So he rescued you, then?" the pink haired doctor said with a smile.

"Yes! He's the best!" the boy replied.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright," she said while standing up. "Be more careful next time."

"Yes, ma'am, I will."

"Now, I know this is going to sound awful, but I need to go over there and treat the ones that attacked you… but don't worry," she added with a wink, "I'll make sure it hurts."

The boy smiled widely up at her.

Turning around, Sakura was confronted by Nariko once more. "Who do I start with?" the pink haired doctor asked, gesturing towards the injured men.

"Well, with none of them in fact," the young intern replied, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "You see, we have all decided that you will have the _privilege _of treating the boy's saviour."

Sakura raised threw a questioning look her way as Nariko handed her a clipboard with the man's information. "And why is that?" she asked.

"Well…" the young intern said, looking away momentarily, "we think someone with your expertise will be needed to handle him."

The pink haired doctor simply stared at her silently for a few seconds.

It didn't take long for Nariko to succumb to the pressure. "He's kind of difficult, Dr. Haruno. He didn't want to be treated by anyone when he came in. In fact, he tried to jump out of the ambulance when he was brought here. He's shouted and cursed at everyone that has tried to go into the room he's in and he hasn't let anyone get near him."

Sakura groaned. Why did she always get the nutcases?

"He's definitely not the hero the young boy paints him to be," Nariko said. "So, we will leave him in your capable hands!"

And with that, the young intern turned on her heels and basically fled down the corridor.

The pink haired doctor signed in resignation as she looked down at the clipboard and went over the information written there.

Name: Gaara. Age: 25. Height: 6'0.

From the details that were given, he had been injured in the arm by a one of the knives the muggers had branded. He was currently located in examination room 54b, which could be found a few doors down the hall.

Breathing in deeply one last time, Sakura made her way towards the appointed room. Without hesitation, she opened the door and stepped inside. The worst thing you could do with these types of cases was to show any weakness. He needed to learn that the she was the doctor here and the sooner he did, the sooner this whole thing would be over.

She looked up then and her eyes fell on the man sitting on the examination table.

Fiery jade met determined emerald in the complete silence of the small room.

Sakura tried to react but found that her body wasn't responding.

'Well, someone could have warned me that he was a complete hotty!' she exclaimed inside her mind as she took in the sight of the man before her.

His short crimson hair was dishevelled and she had the impression that he always wore it that way. His face was round but there was nothing soft about it. The hard lines of his cheekbones and chin clearly showed the façade of a man who was used to fighting and the set of his eyes evidently told her that he never backed down from an opponent. This was all made even more apparent by the red kanji tattoo on his forehead. 'Love' it read… love for the fight, most probably.

But it was those jade orbs that were staring directly at her that made her breath catch. There was such intensity reflected inside them that the pink haired doctor thought she would be overwhelmed. There was an aura on hidden power surrounding him, as if there was a demon hidden inside of him that he could barely control and that he could unleash upon the world when he willed. It was clear that he was used to having his way and was accustomed to intimidating whoever came near him.

Sakura shifted her eyes momentarily and noticed there was a jacket on the table beside him. There was emblem on one of its sleeves and even from this distance, she could read the words 'Suna Kyokushin' written underneath the kanji of the insignia.

It all suddenly made sense.

'No wonder he seems to emanate violence,' Sakura thought. 'These martial artists and their passion for fighting.'

Now that she knew were she stood, Sakura knew she wouldn't have any problems dealing with him… not after having had another kyokushin fighter for a best friend all her life.

"I'm Dr. Haruno Sakura," she said politely as she walked up to him. She knew very well that he wanted to intimidate her but she wasn't going to fall for his schemes. If he wanted her to back down and stay away from him, then she would do exactly the opposite and treat him like any other person.

But it was then that he smiled at her… technically.

His lips parted and showed his teeth but in truth, you really couldn't call it a smile. It was more like a smirk… like the grin of a hunting feline when it is about to bring down its prey.

Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine as if something was warning her about the man in front of her. But she gave herself a mental shake and hardened her resolve. She wasn't going to back down, _ever_.

"You're Gaara, right?" she asked, while looking momentarily at the clipboard to make sure she had gotten his name right.

He nodded at her but said nothing, that devilish grin still plastered across his face.

"Well, let's see what the damage is then," she said with a sigh as she walked up to him to examine his injury.

XXXXXXXXXX

So this was what his tantrums had brought him. Chuckling inwardly, Gaara was suddenly glad that he had cursed at all those interns that had come in and had sent all of them running out the door. If he hadn't done so, then _she_ would never have come in to treat him.

He knew the tactic well and was, in fact, expecting it. When confronted with an enraged and difficult male, throwing a pacifying and pretty female at him was the logical thing to do. Gaara had been prepared to bring down whatever would-be doctor they threw his way but was caught completely off guard when Dr. Haruno walked through the door.

He was expecting pretty, but he never thought she would be this beautiful.

The verbal attacks he had planned to bring her weeping to her knees were suddenly drowned inside his head and were replaced by something else altogether… especially when he saw that stubborn glint in her gorgeous emerald eyes. His body reacted immediately to her and if there was something the red headed fighter had learned throughout his life, it was to trust in his body's reactions.

As a kyokushin fighter, he was completely aligned with his ki and had confidence in its responses. It was his ki that allowed him to measure up his opponents and allowed him to read his adversary's movements beforehand during a fight. By training hard throughout many years, he had become an expert ki reader and could tell many things about a person by just tuning in to their energy flows and this was why he had become such an amazing fighter and had a couple of World Championship titles under his arm.

This also meant that he was an excellent judge of character and could tell if the person was an idiot the moment he first met them. Usually, people would revolt him and he would steer clear from them, gaining himself the reputation of an unapproachable loner. Evidently, he didn't give a shit about what people thought and he actually welcomed such rumours about himself so that people would leave him alone. Thus, it was completely noteworthy when a stranger caught his attention and it was striking to find that his ki was utterly attracted to the woman in front of him.

The game of 'destroy anyone who walks through that door' he had planned on playing dissolved completely and was replaced by another type of game… one that could bring very interesting results if he played it right.

Gaara watched her as she approached and surveyed his arms, trying to discern which one it was that was injured. She spotted the gash on the right sleeve of his navy blue t-shirt almost instantly and brought her hands up to examine it.

"Could you please take off your shirt?" Sakura asked.

'This is going to be too easy,' Gaara thought in malice as he did what he was told.

The pink haired girl felt the warmth of her blush start to cover her face when her eyes inevitably fell upon his muscled abdomen, but she fought it down fiercely. This wasn't the first time she saw a shirtless man in her life… there was nothing to be nervous about.

_But this is the first time that you see such a perfect specimen of a man's torso_ Inner Sakura interrupted in glee while ogling openly at the man.

The pink haired doctor tried to silence her inner voice but she knew she was right. Gaara's abdomen could only be described as _perfect_; his muscles were perfectly outlined and there didn't seem to be an ounce of fat on him. And she wouldn't start on his chest and shoulders… no, she would definitely not go there…

Years of practicing her control under the most stressful medical situations allowed Sakura to regain her concentration in milliseconds and to focus on the task at hand. Grabbing his arm gently, she started to undo the bloody bandages that had been wrapped temporarily over the wound.

_Oh my god, the feel of his bicep!_ Inner Sakura exclaimed before she fainted.

The pink haired doctor glared at her inner persona but the damage had been done. Unconsciously, she started to feel the muscles underneath her hands and she had to fight down the raging hormones that wanted to spread across her body.

'Haruno Sakura,' she told herself fiercely. 'This is a _patient_ you are talking about here… a complete and utter stranger that needs your help. Get a hold of yourself.'

That seemed to do the trick and her body calmed down immediately, allowing her to continue with what she was doing.

Gaara had to congratulate her for being able to hide her reactions on the outside perfectly but his ki senses couldn't be fooled. He could read her like an open book and he chuckled inwardly in wickedness. It was only natural for her to react the way she did… any female would react in such a way to his body, he was very aware of that. But the fact that she didn't make any lewd comments about it or hadn't tried to make him aware of her attraction made her stand out even more. The red headed fighter was used to women who threw themselves all over him at the first opportunity, making their desire for him blatant. Sakura's reactions clearly told him that she was above all that.

A woman who held herself high in life spoke clearly of confidence… something he found incredibly attractive.

Sakura finally managed to get the bandages out of the way and let out a loud hiss at the sight of the injury on Gaara's arm. It wasn't bleeding anymore but it didn't look good.

"Oh dear, what did they do to you?" she said unbelievingly, but she really wasn't expecting an answer to her question. Confronted with the sight of the awful and deep gash across the red head's upper arm, she went to work immediately.

"Did anyone clean this properly?" she asked, looking up at him with disturbed eyes.

Gaara marvelled at the sight of her going into 'professional mode'. Even though she had suddenly slipped into her role of qualified doctor, she still held genuine concern for the patients she treated.

He shook his head in answer to her question.

Sakura cursed loudly, much to the fighter's surprise. "Such irresponsible dimwits," she said, standing up immediately. "We might need to give you a vaccine… we don't know where the knife that cut you has been."

Jade eyes widened but said nothing, admiring the way she walked around the office with an air of authority and found the things she needed.

The pink haired doctor knew she should be a bit nervous at the fact that her patient hadn't spoken a single word to her during all this time even though she had been told that he had been extremely 'expressive' with all the other interns that had come in to see him. But she shoved her worries to the back of her mind; this was not a time to ponder about the odd behaviour of the man she was treating.

Placing the things she would need to clean and stitch the wound next to where Gaara was sitting, she turned round and walked towards the door. She stuck her head out into the hall and gave an angry shout at someone, demanding that they bring her something with a weird name that she needed.

When she turned round to face him once again, the red head approved of the wrathful glint in her eyes and thought that she looked even more stunning when angered. He wondered what he needed to do for her to look at him with such intensity.

"This might hurt," Sakura warned as she pulled up a chair to sit down next to him. She took out the antiseptic she needed to clean the wound and proceeded with the task.

She was amazed to see him take the stinging antibacterial without even flinching once, even though she was completely sure that the pain he was experiencing was terrible. His face was utterly serious but his expression didn't waver at all. She was careful with her ministrations and was extra cautious so that she didn't provoke any further discomfort.

When she was done with the cleaning, a man entered the door while carrying a tray. Gaara recognized him as one of the interns that had tried to treat him before. The red head glared openly at him.

"Dr. Haruno," the man said while trying to avoid the jade stare piercing through him, "here's the vaccine you requested."

"Put it on the table, Sachio. Thank you," Sakura replied offhandedly as she proceeded to thread the needle she would use to suture Gaara's arm.

The intern placed the tray where he was told and proceeded to run out of the room, completely amazed at Dr. Haruno's abilities and how she had managed to subdue that madman.

Once he was gone, Sakura finished with the needle and sprayed some anaesthetic over the wound so she could stitch it. While she waited for it to take effect, her eyes fell on Gaara's jacket once more.

"So you're a kyokushin fighter. That explains the beating you gave those men outside," she said with a chuckle.

The red head only looked at her but didn't say anything, a strange feeling surging up inside him. People _never_ started a casual conversation with him… they were usually too afraid to even draw near him. He knew there was something about his appearance that made him completely unapproachable. But here she was, talking to him nonchalantly like if he were any other person in the world. His interest towards her suddenly increased immensely.

"My best friend's a kyokushin fighter too…he's actually obsessed with it." she added after a moment while rolling her eyes.

"What's his name?" Gaara asked.

Sakura blinked several times. He had actually spoken to her!

_Who would've thought that his voice was so deep and sexy?_ Inner Sakura interrupted… yet again.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Sakura replied, ignoring her inner persona.

She saw his jade eyes widen in shock.

"You're a friend of the Raging Fox?" he asked unbelievingly.

"Unfortunately sometimes, but yes," Sakura said, not knowing why he was so surprised. "We've known each other since before we could walk."

He merely stared at her, as if his opinion of her had suddenly shifted in a positive way.

"I've fought against him," the red head stated seriously after a moment.

"Really? When?" Sakura asked as she finished readying the needle.

"Last year, at the World Championship finals," he said.

Now it was Sakura's turn to be surprised.

"What?" she asked in shock. "He was completely obsessed with that fight! He recounted it like 5 thousand times afterwards, saying that it was the toughest fight he had ever had and that he had barely managed to win…"

She suddenly looked up at him as if remembering something important.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed but brought her hand over her mouth after realized what she had just said. Her surprise didn't lessen however. "You're the Crimson Death!"

He chuckled slightly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Sakura gaped openly at him, suddenly realizing who she was talking to. Everything Naruto had told her about this man came crashing into her mind. He had been World Champion twice and was going for his third win when her blond friend had finally managed to bring down his reign. He was a calculating and vicious fighter with a troubled past but had managed to overcome his hindrances and had risen in the ranks of kyokushin like no one before. The Crimson Death was a _legend_ in the martial arts world, said to be able to take on an army single-handedly if he wanted to.

And from what Sakura had witnessed from the men outside, she realized that this statement wasn't exactly false.

"Wow," she said under her breath. "And what are you doing in town?"

"I came as part of an exchange program between dojos. I'm actually stationed at the same academy as your friend."

"Really? And for how long have you been here?" Sakura asked with a smile but realized she really needed to get on with her stitching before the anaesthesia wore off. "Wait a second, can you feel this?"

She touched the edges of the wound carefully as she spoke.

"No," the red head answered.

"Good," she said and started to suture the wound.

Gaara watched her work silently for a few moments before realizing that she had asked him a question. Usually, he wouldn't involve himself in such conversations, but his ki kept reacting to her closeness and it would not be ignored. Besides, if this was someone the Raging Fox approved of, then she was definitely worth his time.

"I've been here for 2 months," he told her.

"Now that I think about it, Naruto did mention something about some visitors coming to the dojo" Sakura said thoughtfully. "But he's always overexcited about anything that has to do with kyokushin so I didn't pay much attention."

Gaara only looked at her but said nothing, allowing keep working without any further disturbance. In the end, the gash on his arm required twelve stitches and would definitely leave a mark.

"I just need to give you your vaccine and then you can go," Sakura said with a smile as she stood up to get the small syringe that Sachio had left on an adjacent table.

As she turned back towards him, she caught him staring at her with a curious expression in his eyes. She averted her gaze from his face instinctively only for it to fall upon his muscled chest.

_**That's** what I'm talking about!_ Inner Sakura exclaimed in satisfaction.

He pink haired doctor refused to be interrupted her lascivious inner voice and ignored her comment entirely.

Applying the injection on his opposite arm quickly, the pink haired doctor decreed that Gaara was good to go.

"I know it's useless to tell you to avoid any fights while you have your stitches, so I'm just going to ask you to be careful. You can come back in one week to take them off," she told him as he put his shirt back on.

The red head nodded at her when he stood up.

It was then that Sakura realized how tall he was. She admired his well-built frame for a moment but before she could embarrass herself, she started to put away the equipment she had used.

"At what time do you get out?" he asked abruptly.

She was completely taken aback by his question since had expected him walk out the door immediately.

"Like in 25 minutes," she said while glancing at the clock on the wall, not knowing exactly why she was answering his question.

"Good," he said before making his way towards the exit and walking through the door without even looking back.

Completely confused at his behaviour, Sakura shook her head to rearrange her thoughts and continued to organize the small examination room.

It was only a few minutes after that she realized that he hadn't even said thank you.

XXXXXXXXXX

Some time later, the pink haired doctor stood before the sliding double doors of the hospital's exit, bracing herself for the cold. At least it wasn't snowing… yet.

She tightened her coat around her and made sure that her scarf was safely secured around her neck. Closing her eyes, she stepped forward and walked unto the busy sidewalk of the city's 5 o'clock rush hour.

She had taken longer to leave the emergency room than she would've thought and had been forced to work overtime so she could treat the last of the patients on her shift. Now she was completely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to head home so she could collapse on her couch and watch TV.

Intent on reaching her destination as soon as possible, she stepped forward and joined the throng of pedestrians on the sidewalk.

But she was stopped after only a few steps by a deep familiar voice.

"That was longer than 25 minutes," Gaara said, annoyance evident in his tone.

Sakura stopped abruptly and turned to look at him. He was wearing his kyokushin jacket now, its hood covering his head and his breath came out in white clouds from the cold.

The pink haired doctor instinctively started to voice an apology in response to the tone of his voice when she caught herself in mid sentence. She suddenly realized that she really didn't need to explain herself to him… she had just met him!

"What are you doing here?" she asked instead.

"Waiting for you," he replied casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Sakura gaped up at him at a loss for words. He was waiting for _her_?

"Why?" she said after a few moments.

He simply looked at her and shrugged his shoulders in response.

"But…" Sakura started to say but her voice failed her. She really didn't understand what was going on here. "Well, I'm actually going home…"

"I'll walk you then," he replied quickly.

She started to voice a protest but realized that it was useless when she saw a glint of stubbornness in his jade eyes. He was clearly up to something but she didn't know exactly what that something was. His façade was completely serious and he there wasn't a single hint of uncertainty or hesitation in his voice. He was completely sure of what he was doing and she suddenly admired his self-confidence.

It wasn't any man who had the courage to approach a woman in such a direct way.

Without saying anything, she turned to walk down the street, surrounded by the throng of people making their way home as well. He fell into step right beside her with ease. They walked for a few minutes in silence, engulfed by the sounds of the city.

"This could be considered stalking, you know," she said to him while they waited for the red light at a corner.

He only chuckled in mirth at her statement but said nothing.

They crossed the street along with all the other pedestrians and made their way down the opposite sidewalk. Sakura's bus stop was located somewhere nearby and they would reach it soon enough.

"It was a great thing that you did for that little boy today," she said out of nowhere.

Gaara merely nodded in acknowledgement.

"No everyone would've gone out of their ways to defend, especially not against for adult men."

"I lived through it myself many times when I was young," he told her, his jade eyes taking on a glint of anger. "It was impossible for me to leave the boy alone."

Sakura turned to look at him with a concerned look but didn't say anything else. She realized it was a touchy subject and it was best for her to steer clear of it.

They reached her bus stop and Sakura came to stand at the end of the line of people that were waiting for the bus as well.

"And here I thought that all doctors had enough money to buy a car," Gaara said snidely as he came to stand next to her.

"Well, not _all_ doctors have a scholarship loan to pay!" she exclaimed defensively, her mouth settling into a pout at his statement.

That feline grin he had given her before returned to his face as he looked down at her and a small glint of pleasure was shining from his eyes. It was then that Sakura realized that he was provoking her on purpose.

She simply shook her head and she realized that he was probably a really difficult person to deal with. Now, it was all the more evident that he was used to having his way and that he would be easily angered if things didn't work out how he wanted them to. His jade eyes reflected a nasty temper and she was sure that he was violent when riled. He spoke his thoughts without even thinking if they would hurt the other person and wasn't at all affected by the consequences that his words might bring.

'I always get the nutcases,' Sakura thought for that second time that day, sighing in resignation.

She looked at the passing traffic on the street and was lost amongst the noise of the many cars passing by for a few moments. When she turned towards Gaara again, she realized that he was staring candidly at her with a thoughtful expression.

The pink haired doctor forced herself to stare back into those eyes without distracting herself with what was on the surface… and what she found surprised her greatly. They were looking back at her with open admiration and maybe with a little bit of lust. The feline grin that had adorned his face before was reflected ten-fold in his jade orbs and they mirrored such intensity that Sakura thought she would be overwhelmed.

_Can you imagine what it would be like to be caught by **this** cat?_ Inner Sakura asked. It was evident that she was already contemplating the possibilities.

'I do not want to be caught by any cat!' the pink haired doctor thought angrily as she abruptly broke eye contact with Gaara.

_You're lying_ her inner persona replied and flooded her mind with the feelings of loneliness that had been invading Sakura's life recently. She had wanted someone special to share her life with for some time now and had actually been somewhat depressed at the fact that all her friends had lovers while she stayed single.

She had secretly dreamed of being swept off her feet by a complete stranger…

_And what do you think this is?_

'This definitely doesn't count," she thought is exasperation. 'It's not supposed to happen like this.'

_The best things in life never happen like we want to_.

'He's acting weird, not to mention the fact that he's basically stalking me,' she added as an excuse.

_Haven't you thought that he's doing this because he likes you?_

'If he liked me, he would've approached me with a completely different attitude.'

_Oh come on, romance is completely over rated. This is much more exciting._

Sakura groaned inwardly. She was losing the fight against her inner persona and she didn't like it.

_The least you can do is give him a chance._

She suddenly realized that her inner voice was right. It was the very least that she could do. She would be fooling herself if she ignored the evident attraction she had felt towards him ever since she had walked into the examination room…

"Would like to go get some coffee?" Sakura asked suddenly.

The red head looked at her with surprised jade orbs, her offer completely unexpected.

"There's a really nice place just a few blocks away," she said.

"Lead the way," he told her evenly, but his grin was creeping its way across his face again.

But much to his surprise, she confronted him with a grin of her own.

XXXXXXXXXX

A couple of hours later, they walked out of the coffee shop and into the cold night.

Much to Sakura's surprise, Gaara wasn't as bad as she had thought and it was possible to have a civil conversation with the quiet man. He answered her questions willingly, even if it was in a concise and brief manner. However, he had a tendency to make biting and sarcastic remarks, something which eventually got on the pink haired doctor's nerves and she would end up snapping at him… something which always seemed to provoke a strange spark of admiration in his eyes.

Not to mention the fact that he openly glared at the cute water that had given Sakura an appreciative glance when they had walked into the place whenever he had the chance. The poor man had succumbed to the effect of the red head's intimidation and had steered clear of their table for the rest of their time there.

She had ignored all of it though and had concentrated on trying to get to know him. Even though she did most of the talking, she had managed to find out that he had taken up kyokushin when he was 13 and it had actually been a life changing decision; it had allowed him to acquire the means to go forward in life. He refused to talk about his childhood vehemently, so she had steered away from the topic. There was something he didn't want to reveal and she respected that.

In return, she had talked to him about college and how she had made her way through medical school. Sakura recounted all the times she had to stay up studying for entire nights and how it had been necessary for her for work part time during school so she could cover her living expenses. She had been able to obtain a scholarship loan, but it only paid for her tuition.

She also told him about the beginnings of her friendship with Naruto and how her parents had lived next door to a children's home. Sakura had grown up with the kids living there and she had immediately connected with a loud orphaned blond with sapphire blue eyes. They had been inseparable ever since and had gone through their school years together.

This was how she learned that Naruto was, in fact, Gaara's friend and from the way the red head spoke about him, she could tell that he admired the Raging Fox very much. Sakura knew there was hidden story behind this but decided not to pry. She knew she would find out eventually, especially if she decided to tell Naruto that she had gone out for coffee with the Crimson Death. She could just imagine the shock on his face when she delivered the news.

Shaking her head at how small the world was, the pink haired doctor turned towards the tall kyokushin fighter to say her goodbyes.

"Well, it was great meeting you," she told him, a genuine smile in her face.

Gaara nodded, but he wasn't one to bother with pleasantries. "I'll see you soon then," he told her and with that, he turned round and walked away.

The pink haired girl tried to call out to him, tried to say something, but her mouth just kept hanging open in incredulity.

'That's **it**?' Sakura thought in disbelief as the tall red headed man continued to walk away. 'After he stalked me and everything?'

Inner Sakura chuckled at his antics and stared appreciatively at Gaara's behind as he made his way down the sidewalk.

'What an insensitive jerk!'

Her inner persona nodded but was too worked up about it. _He does seem really sure that we'll see each other again_…

'Egotistical moron,' the pink haired kept cursing him.

_And from the way he said it, you know very well this won't be the last time we cross paths._

Sakura considered what her inner voice had just told her and realized that she was right. Men like Gaara were like those weeds in your garden that no matter how many times you pulled out, they just kept showing up.

'I sure know how to pick them,' she thought desperately as she turned in the opposite direction and started to walk down the road.

* * *

There you go! Let me know what you think. I'll be putting up the second part soon since I really want to get to work on my other stories.

Thanks for reading, guys.


	2. Part II

**A/N**: Here it is guys! Sorry for the slight delay but a migraine from hell decided to hit me in the rear when I was about to sit down and proof read this. But here it is now, for your reading pleasure.

Thanks a lot for your support! I really wasn't expecting so many pretty and nice reviews for this since I decided to write it on a whim. I'm so glad you like it. Alas, it cannot be longer since I really need to get back to my other stories.

It's Sakura's take on denial in this one... hehehe.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**PART II**

Sakura really didn't want to think about what she was doing… she really didn't. She had told herself a hundred times that she going over to the dojo because she was doing Naruto a favour and that was all.

But her inner persona had other opinions.

_We simply **have** to go to the dojo… I mean, we might get to see **him**!_

The pink haired doctor had only rolled her eyes and had tried to vanish all the images of a shirtless red headed fighter that her inner voice was throwing her way.

It had been a more than a week after she had 'gone out' for coffee with Gaara and as the days had gone by, Sakura had concluded that the arrogant kyokushin fighter was nothing more than an insufferable jerk. After going over the way he had behaved during their encounter, the pink haired girl became painfully aware of the 'macho attitude' he had been exuding towards her. It was as if he were happily playing the part of the dominant male while trying to coerce her into the role of the helpless female that would fall to the floor on her knees over all the testosterone he was emanating.

The mere thought was enough to make her stomach nauseous.

Sakura refused to be 'dominated' by _anyone_, much less a brainless mountain of muscle that had no consideration for the feelings of others. He was cranky, impolite and bossy. Those were the last characteristics she was looking for in a man and the best she could do was forget about the whole thing and get on with her life. It would do no good to get involved with the likes of Gaara and she had enough instincts of self-preservation to know this.

After thinking it over during the whole week, she had vehemently decided she would steer clear of anything or anyone that might lead her to cross paths with the red head once more. She was completely sure that if they ever met each other again, then he would stop at nothing to make her life impossible and to try and overwhelm her with his overriding masculinity. This was, in fact, the last thing Sakura needed since, being the independent woman she was, there was nothing worse than having a caveman attempt to knock her over the head and pull her from the hair to his hidden lair.

Haruno Sakura wasn't some stupid girl that could be won over by the size of a man's muscles. No sir. Haruno Sakura was a professional woman with a successful and prestigious career under her arm. There was a brain inside her head too. Thus, her intelligence allowed her to form sound and logical conclusions concerning the red headed fighter and it was only reasonable for her to stay away from him entirely.

That is, until the moronic Naruto had left his cell phone at her house.

He had come over the night before for popcorn and a couple of movies and had been half asleep when he had finally decided to call it a day. In his state of semi-consciousness he had completely forgotten his cell phone on top of the coffee table in Sakura's TV room and the pink haired doctor had discovered it sitting there the next morning.

Under any other circumstance she wouldn't even have bothered to return it and would have waited for her blond friend to stop by. But Hinata, Sakura's friend and Naruto's fiancé, was out on a business trip for a few weeks and knowing how much those two missed each other, the pink haired doctor knew that if Naruto missed a call from his raven haired sweetheart, he would be completely devastated.

Sakura was too soft for her own good and she knew it. Thus, she had picked up her coat, scarf and gloves after having a quick breakfast and had proceeded to make her way to the dojo where her blond friend was sure to be on a Saturday morning.

She had to take a couple of buses to get downtown where the dojo was located. She was almost there now and as she walked, she was trying very hard not to think about what she might find when she through those doors.

_Oh, just admit it. You want to see him._

'I do **not**,' she replied, grinding her teeth.

Her inner persona retaliated brutally to her negative response and abruptly flooded her mind with images of a half-naked Gaara once again. The pink haired doctor could feel a blush starting to creep across her face.

_Haha, see! You can't hide your reactions from me._

'Of course I'm going to react that way,' Sakura replied angrily. 'Any woman with hormones would. But I am not a lascivious idiot that will throw herself upon the first moron to flex his muscles in front of me.'

_But you have to admit that they **are** some really nice muscles…_

'Urggh, you're impossible!' the pink haired girl exclaimed inside her mind. 'I care nothing about him and that's final.'

But Inner Sakura didn't agree.

_Don't tell me you haven't been worried about him,_ she said. _I know you've been wondering why he hasn't shown up at the hospital to remove his stitches._

Sakura didn't have words to answer that statement for she knew it was completely true. Gaara was supposed to come by a couple of days back but he hadn't made an appearance yet. Knowing his personality, the pink haired doctor was sure that he would attempt to remove the stitches himself, stating that he didn't need anyone's help. She could picture him easily, a stubborn look in his jade eyes while he sat down to pull out the sutures of his arm. The thought made Sakura's stomach churn in anger but underneath it all, she was actually genuinely concerned about him and couldn't help but think that something might have happened to him.

_See, you're worried._

'I'm not worried,' she replied huffily. 'It's called professional ethics. It's completely natural for a doctor to be concerned about her patients.'

Inner Sakura rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else. They had already turned the corner of the street where the dojo could be found and the pink haired girl could now clearly read the sign hanging above the entrance.

Bracing herself for whatever she might face, Sakura breathed in deeply before opening the door. Thankfully, nothing that required her immediate retreat was found inside the reception room.

"Sakura, what a surprise!" Tenten exclaimed from across the room. She was sitting behind the front desk, eyeing a martial arts magazine.

"Hi Tenten," the pink haired doctor replied with a smile, walking forward to where the other woman sat. "Blondy left his cell phone at my house last night, so I came to return it."

The brown haired female fighter laughed at that. "I see. They're actually just finishing up with today's session."

Sakura thought about leaving her friend's cell phone at the desk with Tenten and making a run for it but her inner voice interrupted her vehemently.

_Don't you dare! _

She was about to reply that she could do whatever she wanted when she suddenly realized that if Naruto found out that she had come all the way to the dojo and hadn't said hi, she would be facing a resentful Raging Fox for a whole week.

"Ok, I guess I'll just wait," she finally told Tenten. She turned towards one of the chairs beside the desk but her inner persona wouldn't have it.

_Let's take a peek!_

'No!' Sakura replied, turning to look down the corridor leading to the training halls.

_Yes!_

'No.'

_No one has to see us. We'll just hide behind the door and when they're done, we can come back here and pretend we never saw anything._

Sakura blinked. There wasn't much she could say to refute that idea… it was a win-win situation.

Sighing deeply in resignation, she walked down the corridor and passed a couple of closed shoji doors. She could hear grunts and shouts coming from the end of the hallway and light was streaming down into the shadows of the floor from an open door beyond. The pink haired doctor approached the sliding door quietly and sneaked a peek into the training hall.

A group of 8 men wearing kyokushin uniforms were arranged in two lines facing each other across the room, each one fighting against the man in front. Sakura recognized some of the faces there. Neji and Lee had been Naruto's friends ever since he joined the dojo and Kiba had been welcomed into their group sometime later. All four of them were in the room practicing against some men Sakura had never seen before. She assumed that they were part of the exchange program also.

_There he is!_ Inner Sakura exclaimed suddenly.

The pink haired doctor's emerald eyes zoned in to where her inner voice was directing her and recognized the dishevelled red hair immediately. Thanks to the workings of the universe, Gaara had his back turned towards the door and he was intensely engaged in his practice with Lee.

But this didn't prevent Sakura's mouth from gaping open at the way he moved.

From the tournaments she had attended, she knew that Lee was by far the fastest of the group and even Naruto was hard pressed to keep up with him most of the time. But the way Gaara's body was moving and shifting with the raven haired fighter's punches and kicks was simply amazing. He was not only keeping up with Lee, he was also going on the offence and he was connecting more attacks than he was missing.

Sakura immediately remembered the statement of the young boy at the hospital when he had said that the red headed stranger had moved like lighting. She had thought it had all been the figment of his childish imagination… but she now realized that the boy had been right. He _did_ move like with god-like speed.

_Look at his behind when he flexes his legs,_ her inner person suddenly added.

The pink haired girl tried to turn her eyes away at the comment but the damage had been done. Gaara jumped up in an attempt to evade one of Lee's kicks and his gi lifted up when he was coming down. He landed in a graceful crouch in front of the raven haired fighter, giving Sakura an ample view of his rear.

She felt her hormones start to kick in immediately.

'We're leaving,' Sakura stated firmly and turned to walk back to the reception room.

_No you don't!_ her inner voice replied mischievously, forcing her to stay where she was and to keep her eyes locked on the redheaded fighter.

Both men whirled around each other and eventually switched position. Gaara was now facing the door and Sakura ducked behind it quickly but kept peeking from the doorway. She sucked in her breath when she finally managed to catch a glimpse of his jade eyes for the first time in over a week. The intensity she had seen before was now rolling off in powerful waves form his catlike orbs and the look of determination on his face clearly spoke of his devotion to his martial art.

'Wow,' the pink haired doctor thought as she kept staring at him… she swore she had never seen a man look so sexy before.

_I know_, Inner Sakura added, completely enthralled by the crimson vision before them and how he moved around his opponent.

Sakura only nodded in response as she kept staring, still mesmerized.

But it ended too quickly for their liking.

"Alright, we'll stop here today," Genma-sensei said, clapping his hands so that the men would stop.

At his words, the pink haired doctor was brought back to reality with a violent jolt. She suddenly realized how precarious her situation was and knew she couldn't possibly afford to stay in the doorway of the training hall ogling like an idiot.

She quickly turned round to walk away but it was already too late.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed as he caught sight of his friend and jumped forwards to greet her.

At the Raging Fox's shout, jade eyes immediately looked up towards the door.

'Naruto no baka!' Sakura cursed inwardly as she saw her friend make his way across the training hall towards her, completely oblivious to the fierce catlike eyes that were now locked on her.

"Hey!" she replied, plastering a smile on her face at her approaching friend, acting as if nothing was wrong. Fumbling inside her purse for a moment, she took out the cursed item that had brought her to the dojo in the first place.

"Here," she said with an annoyed tone. "You left it at my house last night. I just want it to be clear that I brought it over _only _because she can call you at any moment."

"My cell phone!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "Thank you, Sakura-chan!" And with that, he flew forwards and engulfed her in a bear hug despite her immediate protests.

"You're all sweaty, you idiot!" the pink haired doctor exclaimed in disgust. "Let me go this instant!"

But Naruto only laughed and held her more tightly.

Obviously, they had now caught the attention of the entire room and Kiba was chuckling mirthfully at the Raging Fox's antics.

"The poor woman is going to pass out from your smell," Neji commented in an appalled voice, his face serious.

"Nah, she won't" Naruto replied as he finally let her go.

Sakura punched him directly in the chest with all her might.

"Ouch," the blond protested but didn't even move an inch.

"That's for being such an idiot," she replied, panting in anger.

The blond simply kept smiling at her, knowing very well that her ire was only a passing thing. "Now, now, Sakura-chan, violence doesn't become you."

"I'll show you violence!" she exclaimed as she moved forward and attempted to bring her hands around his neck.

Chuckling at her actions, Naruto moved out of the way easily at the last moment, forcing Sakura to lose her balance. But before she could topple forwards to the floor, he brought an arm around her and lifted her up on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes in one fluid movement.

Letting out a yelp of surprise, it took the pink haired doctor a couple of moments to get her bearings. But once she did, she started pounding Naruto's back furiously with her fists.

"Uzumaki, I'm going to throttle you!" she screamed as she kept hitting him. "Life as you know it is _OVER_!"

Everyone in the room was laughing openly now, all except a certain red haired fighter. His jade eyes surveyed the scene with a hint of jealousy. He wasn't sure if he should go over and knock Naruto out for putting his hands on the pink haired beauty or laugh at her utter stupidity for getting herself into such a predicament.

The angry glint in her emerald eyes he had just witnessed had sent a thrill of anticipation down his spine and he had wondered how exactly he needed to pull her strings in order for her to send a punch flying _his_ way. He didn't particularly like the familiar way she behaved around the Raging Fox and it was inevitable for his muscles to clench in irritation at the jealous impulses coursing through him. But he managed to keep them under control… it wouldn't be a smart move to engage Naruto in a fight over his female friend right now; there were better ways to let him know of his plans to claim her as his own.

He had to admit that her arrival had caught him completely off guard… but it had been in a good way. Gaara had been planning to visit the hospital exactly when she had told him, but in the end, kyokushin practice had kept him from going over, forcing him to postpone his visit to his cherry haired doctor. Having been looking forward to meeting her again, the fact that he hadn't been able to go see her had shortened his already precarious temper and he had been sulking openly for days.

And now, here she was… at the dojo. Things couldn't have been better if he had planned them out. He had been forced to cut their first encounter short due to a previous dinner appointment with the dojo's senseis and had thus walked away when they had stepped out of the coffee shop. If he had had his way, he would have ended up underneath her sheets that night. But this time, he wouldn't let her go so easily and she would come with him willingly… she just didn't know it yet.

"Come on Sakura, you know those types of threats won't work with him," Kiba said through his laughter while the pink haired girl kept cursing at her friend.

She suddenly went quiet. "Kiba, you're absolutely right." She sent threw one final punch across the blond's back and exclaimed menacingly: "Uzumaki, if you don't put me down I will _never_ treat you to ramen ever again!"

That seemed to do the trick.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, you know I didn't mean it," he replied while setting her down immediately, sounding worried. "I was just joking around."

"Hmph," she said in reply as she straitened out her clothing but didn't deign him with any further comments. He kept apologizing then, lifting up his arm to scratch his head in that oh-so-Naruto way.

The rest of the men in the room kept smiling and started going out the door towards the locker room, intent on getting a good shower after training.

Naruto stood next to Sakura, his apologies having been replaced by a stupid grin on his face. He was about to make a comment of some sort when a deep voice beat him to it.

"So, you've come to save me the trouble of going to the hospital to get my stitches removed?" Gaara asked haughtily, jade cat-eyes shining Sakura's way.

The pink haired girl fisted her hands at her sides and reluctantly turned towards him.

"No, I didn't," she replied curtly, grinding her teeth.

"Wait a minute, you two know each other?" Naruto asked, clearly puzzled.

Gaara only looked back at her with an arrogant look in his eyes, as if asking 'you haven't told him?'

Sakura ignored him completely and turned towards her friend. "This brainless twit came into the hospital the other day after picking a fight and I was forced to treat his injury."

The blond snorted out loud at that. If Sakura had been a man, she would have been in so much trouble… no one insulted the Crimson Death and lived.

Gaara was clearly not happy with it either and he glared threateningly at her, but the pink haired girl wasn't intimidated in the least.

'Stupid caveman,' she thought.

"Well, I guess I should get going now," she said out loud.

"No you don't," Gaara stated firmly. "You need to pull my stitches out."

"You can go to the hospital to do that," Sakura replied haughtily. "Besides, it's my day off."

"Like I care about that," the red head said and was about to continue when Naruto butted in.

"Oh come on Sakura, it won't take more than 10 minutes. You can save Gaara the trip to the hospital," he said, "besides, you told me last night that you didn't have any plans for today."

The pink haired girl turned the full force of her glare towards the blond. How could he team up with the egocentric red head? What the hell was he thinking?

Gaara turned to regard her smugly, crossing his arms in front of him in victory. His feline grin was covering his face now.

At a loss, Sakura breathed in deeply in an attempt to calm her rising temper. This was the precise reason why she had wanted to avoid him in the first place. "I don't have any equipment to do it here," she finally said.

"Bah, you just need a pair of tweezers," Naruto said, waving his hand in front of him like if it were nothing. "Lee has some in the locker room… you know, for his eyebrows and stuff."

For the second time that day, Sakura felt the urge to strangle her blond friend to death.

"I'll take a shower first then," Gaara replied conceitedly as he started to make his way out of the training hall.

"Come with us then," Naruto said, taking Sakura by the arm and leading her down the hall.

"I am **not** going into the locker room!" she hissed at him.

"Oh don't exaggerate," the blond said while rolling his sapphire eyes at her, "it's not the first time you've been in there."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest but she suddenly heard a loud snort coming from the insufferable red head walking in front of them. She glared daggers at his back but he didn't seem to be affected at all.

If she managed to get through the day, she swore she would _never_ do a favour for Naruto again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura sat on the bench in the middle of the dreaded locker room holding Lee's tweezers in tightly her hand while she waited for the egocentric Gaara to come out of the shower. Thankfully, almost all the men that had been practicing had already finished cleaning up and had left. Only Neji and Kiba remained and they had finished dressing by now.

Kiba was talking animatedly to Naruto, who was sitting next to Sakura, and the pink haired girl tried very hard to concentrate on what they were saying. But her mind kept going back to the arrogant red head she would be forced to treat soon and her body was reacting in annoyance and anticipation at the same time.

No one in her life had been able to get on her nerves in such a way before and every single time he spoke to her, the overwhelming urge to throttle him until he lost consciousness would invade her whole body. But at same time, she couldn't forget how he had looked when he had been training and the intensity shining in his eyes while he fought wasn't something she could not easily discard. She had never seen such pure and committed passion before and she vaguely wondered if he would give the same devotion to the woman he chose as a partner.

Her thinking was brought to an abrupt halt however, when the aforementioned kyokushin fighter made an appearance in front of them, wearing only a pair of dark jeans and a towel around his neck. His dripping wet hair was as messy as it always was and he ran a hand through it in an attempt to keep it away from his eyes as he approached.

Inner Sakura suffered from a spontaneous nosebleed right there and then.

The pink haired doctor breathed in deeply, refusing to be affected by the man coming her way. She wouldn't be intimidated by the body of any male and she refused to stare at him like an air-headed teenager.

"Yosh, you're finally out," Naruto exclaimed, standing up and stretching as Gaara came to stand next to them. "I'm going into the shower then."

"We'll see you guys later," Kiba said, shouldering his backpack and making his way towards the door. Neji did the same and waved farewell while falling into step behind him.

"Bye guys," Naruto exclaimed as he picked up a towel and headed towards the showers.

Sakura suddenly found herself in the situation she had both desired and dreaded: she was now completely alone with Gaara in the room.

He sat down next to her, taking the towel off his neck. Leaning forward, he rested his right elbow on his knee, giving Sakura a clear view of his upper arm where the stitches she had sewn were sticking out.

"Better get this over with," he told her smugly, smirking her way.

'You're a professional girl, remember that' Sakura told herself, strengthening her resolve. She leaned forward and grabbed his arm carefully, bringing the tweezers up to the injury. She observed it carefully, making sure it the skin had healed properly. In the position they were sitting in, the pink haired girl found that her face was only inches away from his when she bended forward and she felt instantly uneasy. His smell wasn't helping either; the shower fresh scent of his shampoo was invading her nostrils along with an aroma that could only be described as masculine. It was driving her senses completely and utterly insane.

Grinding her teeth, the pink haired doctor forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand and started to pull out the stitches, vanishing everything else from her mind.

But he wouldn't have it that way.

When she had pulled out a few of the sutures, Gaara flexed his arm on purpose and Sakura could feel the muscle in her hand harden until it was outlined perfectly in front of her eyes.

Inner Sakura proceeded to faint at the feel of his bicep between her fingers.

But as quickly as he had flexed it, the red head relaxed his arm again.

Sakura turned threatening emerald eyes up towards him in warning but she was met by such a mischievous grin that she was forced to return to her work immediately.

But as soon as she continued to pull the stitches, he did it again.

"Could you stop that?" she asked, clearly aggravated.

"Stop what?" Gaara asked, feigning innocence.

"That thing you're doing with your arm."

"What thing?" the red head asked.

"Urggh, never mind," Sakura replied in exasperation as she bent down towards his injury once more.

He flexed his arm again, dispersing her concentration completely.

"Stop it!" she said, stumping her foot on the floor.

"It's a nervous tick," he replied, his feline grin intensifying.

"A nervous tick?" she asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Yes, you're making me nervous. Do you think I'm going to trust in your medical abilities?"

"I'm an _amazing_ doctor," Sakura replied angrily, emerald fire spewing from her eyes at his comment.

"Says who?" Gaara asked, thoroughly enjoying the fiery spark in her green orbs.

"Why you little…" she said heatedly and instinctively lifted her hand to punch him on the shoulder for his insolence, not caring if she poked him with the tweezers.

But the red head caught her fist easily and Sakura was forced to lean forward even closer to him. Blinking quickly, she realized that her face was a hairsbreadth away from his and her breath caught in her throat at his proximity.

Gaara's catlike smirk stared back at her. "I don't know why you want me to stop if you clearly like it," he told her, flexing his arm again. Sakura's other hand was still holding his bicep and she felt his muscles contract once more.

She flushed fiercely but wouldn't back down. "Who says I like it?"

"That blush on your face," he replied, pulling her closer to him.

She could only stare back at him with a death glare in her eyes. She couldn't believe the way he was acting! He was behaving like a freaking 10 year old.

The redhead stared at her angry face, marvelling in the way her emerald eyes sparked at him. He had wanted to be on the receiving end of her anger ever since he had met her at the hospital… she looked amazingly beautiful when she was riled up and he had known back then that he would go to any means to have her look at him like she was doing right now.

Suddenly, Sakura bit down on her lower lip to suppress the raging emotions inside her.

It was possibly the worst thing she could have done.

Losing the tenuous grip he had on his control, Gaara leaned forward in a rush and covered her lips with his, all the time holding her hand in his so she couldn't pull back.

The pink haired girl gasped in complete surprise but it was a big mistake. As soon as she opened her mouth, his tongue entered her lips and started to wreak havoc upon her senses. Not sure of what was happening, she tried to fight back but it was completely useless. All the cooped up desires she had been trying to suppress since she had met him suddenly came rushing to the surface and she couldn't do anything but surrender to his onslaught. She found herself returning the kiss without even thinking twice about it, heat spilling its way across her body like a flood.

All the fight inside of her was suddenly drowned by the sensations he was creating and there was nothing left to do but to succumb to them.

He loosened his hold on her hand when she attempted to lift her arms and he allowed her to wrap them around his neck as he turned his upper torso to face her directly. Gaara pulled her closer then, forcing her to climb half-way into his lap, his hands moving across her back, caressing her softly and causing her skin to burn hot wherever he touched her. And to think that he hadn't even gotten his hands under her shirt yet!

Not one to be left behind, Sakura brought a hand down to touch his exposed abdomen softly with her fingers, revelling in the way his muscles fluttered in response wherever her hand happened to make contact. A satisfied rumble sounded from the vicinity of his chest and the pink haired girl was suddenly reminded of the content purr of a cat.

He continued to kiss her with such intensity, Sakura thought she was going to pass out from all the wonderful feelings he was awakening in her body. But he brought the long kiss to an end by pulling back and he lifted his head so he could look directly into her face.

Staring at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, Gaara grinned down at her, but it wasn't the predatory smirk he had before. This was a smile of complete satisfaction, of having accomplished a goal you had set for yourself.

Before she could say anything, he was kissing her again, pulling her up for her to straddle his hips so that he could hold her better while he ravished her mouth.

But reality came crashing back down on Sakura with a shocking jolt.

"Are you guys just about done?" Naruto shouted from the vicinity of the showers… his approaching steps could be heard clearly.

The pink haired girl suppressed a shriek of dread and pulled back from Gaara's mouth instantly. He released his hold on her grudgingly, an angry spark shining from his eyes at being interrupted. But Sakura was more worried about other things. Sitting back down on the bench hastily, she grabbed the red head's arm forcefully and proceeded to pull out the remaining stitches in a hurry.

Naruto appeared in front of them then, drying his hair with a towel. "I thought you'd be finished by now."

"Well, I have a difficult patient," Sakura said with a nervous laugh as she pulled the last of the sutures out.

Gaara was about make a snide remark when he caught the warning glance the pink haired girl was throwing his way. For the sake of repeating what had just happened in the near future, he swallowed his pride and kept quiet.

"There, all done," Sakura exclaimed in mock happiness.

"Gaara," Tenten said suddenly, appearing in the doorway of the locker room. "You have a call from your dojo up front."

Nodding at her, the red head stood up like if nothing had happened and made his way out of the room. Sakura watched him go with a look of envy in her eyes. How could be possibly be so calm?

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Naruto asked. "Your face is all red."

"Of course I'm alright," she replied with a fake smile, erupting in fit of nervous laughter. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Naruto only looked at her with a questioning look in his sapphire eyes.

Sakura gave herself a mental shake and decided that this was the perfect moment to make her escape. She really needed to regroup, to think things over calmly…too much had happened in too little time and she needed to take in the enormity of what she had just done… and she definitely couldn't do that here, not where Gaara's presence would be a constant distraction.

"Listen, I really need to get going," she told her friend, thrusting the tweezers she had been using into his hands. "I'll talk to you later."

"Sure," the blond said, cocking his head to the side while regarding her thoughtfully. "If there's anything you want to talk about, you know where to find me."

"Thanks," she said while she picked up her things. Without further hesitation, she made her way hastily towards the exit of the dojo, putting on her coat and scarf as traversed the hallway.

She passed by the front desk and saw Gaara talking on the phone but she decided to ignore him. This was the perfect opportunity for her to make her retreat: he was busy with something else and wouldn't come chasing after her.

"Bye Tenten," she said as she walked by.

"Bye Sakura!" the other woman replied happily.

The red head looked up from the phone then, eyes narrowing dangerously at the pink haired girl. But his threatening glare went completely unnoticed as Sakura walked out the door without even looking up at him and made her way swiftly down the street.

Anger churned inside of him and he scolded fiercely in the direction of her receding back.

XXXXXXXXXX

'What the hell is wrong with me?' Sakura thought desperately as she made her way across town on foot, not paying too much attention to where she was going. She had been walking hurriedly for a while now and she didn't even know which street she was on. But she really couldn't bring herself to care.

She could only concentrate on the kiss she had just shared with none other than the egotistical Crimson Death and the effects his mouths and hands had had on her body were still coursing through her. As much as she tried, she couldn't bring herself to calm down enough so she could think straight and her mind would continue to replay the feeling of his lips upon hers over and over again.

_Why are you worrying so much about it? It was only a kiss,_ Inner Sakura piped in.

'No it wasn't!' Sakura exclaimed in agony. 'If we had continued, we would have probably ended up doing it on the locker room floor!'

_And what's wrong with that? _Her inner persona asked happily, already sending images of Gaara's face in the throes of passion while she sat astride her hips.

'You're not helping!' she screamed in reply, bringing her hands up to her head in an attempt to keep her imagination at bay. 'I'm not a floozy!'

_Who says this makes you one?_

'I barely know him!'

_So what? With the way he looks at you, you should already know he's serious about this whole thing._

'But we've only met twice.'

_That doesn't mean anything._

Sakura refused to lose ground against her inner voice thus, she used all her willpower to fight down the urge to turn back towards the dojo and finish what she had started with Gaara. She really needed time to think things through, but in the state of turmoil she found herself in, she knew it would be impossible to come to any rational conclusion.

Turning towards a park she suddenly located across the street, she thought it would be favourable for her to sit a while in the cold just to see if her body decided to cool down a bit. The trees of the park were bare and the fallen leaves littered across the grounds. She made her way hurriedly down a pathway until she found a bench located to the side of the pavement. The cold wind was blowing all around and her scarf continued to dance with the breeze when she plopped down on the bench and proceeded to wallow in misery.

She really didn't know how she managed to get herself into these situations and she really couldn't understand why things could never be simple. If you looked at it logically, it really shouldn't be complicated at all. Girl meets boy, they talk, they go out on a couple of dates, they eventually kiss and then fall in love. The boy wasn't supposed to ensnare the girl in a devious scheme that would send her hormones raging and the boy wasn't supposed to throw his obviously prominent masculinity in the girl's face. It just didn't work that way.

But here she was, feeling all the emotions she had spent all week trying to fight and experiencing an overwhelming attraction towards the self-centred caveman she had sworn to avoid. Her body and her inner persona were ganging up on her and there wasn't much she could to prevent their influence from clouding her judgement.

Throwing her head back on the bench, Sakura closed her eyes as she let the freezing wind caress her face. She whimpered in frustration as the muddled thoughts she was trying to control kept whirling chaotically inside her mind.

But as it was usually the case when you thought that things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"Why did you leave?" a deep familiar voice asked from somewhere nearby, the resentment and hurt in its tone sending goose bumps all over Sakura's skin.

Jumping up slightly in shock, she opened her emerald eyes to regard Gaara standing next to the bench. He was wearing a long black coat with a dark green polo shirt underneath and the jeans he had on back in the locker room. The wind was blowing through his hair, making it stick out at odd angles and the bitterness in his jade eyes made pink haired girl's heart clench immediately.

He had never looked so handsome before.

They stared at each other for long moments, the cold breeze dancing between them. It was only after a while that Sakura realized that he truly expected her to answer his question.

"Gaara… I…" she started to say, but words failed her and she was forced to look away.

"Am I not good enough for you?" he asked cynically, the question meant to make her feel guilty.

Sakura could never have imagined that he would take her leaving in such a way… but she really should've known better. Here she was thinking that he had no regard towards the feelings of others when she had done exactly the same thing when she had walked out of the dojo. She hadn't even thought how it would affect him if she left so suddenly and now she would have to face the consequences.

"Of course not," she said, sighing in resignation. "Gaara, it's just that… well, I'm very confused."

"Confused?" he asked angrily, "what's there to be confused about?"

She looked up at him like if he had just sprouted a third arm. He really couldn't be that dense. But before she could say anything, he surprised her once again.

"I'm attracted to you and you're attracted to me," he said huffily, "where is there any room for confusion in that equation?"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She wanted to refute his claim, to tell him he was wrong… but if she was completely honest, she should realize that what he had just said was absolutely and completely true. Maybe she had been making up complications in her mind just because she was scared… scared of what he might have to offer and where it might lead her. But he had just taken her whole situation and had simplified it to its very core and the pink haired girl found that it all really was as straightforward as he painted it to be.

Sighing once again, she stood up and faced him directly. "I know it may seem simple to you but there's so many things I've been thinking about and… well, they simply overwhelmed me. You're not an easy person to deal with, you know?"

He grinned at her then. "That's what makes me so charming."

She rolled her eyes. "No it doesn't," she added seriously. "If you want to have anything to do with me, you're going to have to learn to express yourself better. You can't use your strength or dominance all the time to get what you want… it simply doesn't work that way with me."

Jade eyes surveyed her then and he realized she was serious. "Point taken," he finally admonished.

"Good," she said, bringing a stray strand of short cherry hair behind her ear.

"And you can't simply walk out on me," he said finally, his gaze hurtful again.

Sakura breathed in deeply. "I promise I won't do it again."

They stared at each other for a long time, emerald lost in catlike jade while the wind continued to blow all around them, rustling the leaves on the ground.

After a while, Sakura shivered and she rubbed her arms to try to warm her limbs. Gaara was beside her in an instance, engulfing her in an embrace.

"We should get out of the cold," he told her, rubbing her back. "We should go back to your place."

"It won't make much of a difference," the pink haired doctor replied miserably. "My heater's broken."

"Who says we'll be needing it?" he told her arrogantly just before his lips covered hers in a smouldering kiss. Warmth started flooding through her instantly and Sakura felt a blazing inner heat make its way from the ends of her fingers to the tips of her toes.

_He's right you know, we really won't need a heater,_ Inner Sakura added, immersed in utter bliss.

'I completely agree,' the pink haired doctor replied as she entwined her fingers in his coat and pulled him closer.

* * *

And we're done! (throws confetti) 


End file.
